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A Hudson's Soap War Balloon in Wolverhampton, May 1901. The structure on the left looks like it could be a football stand, with beer advert - 'Wolverhampton Ales'? - so was the balloon at the Molineux Grounds?

Photo from Wolverhampton Archives.

The Press Association Aldershot correspondent telegraphs: - The balloon factory formed here left for Southampton on Wednesday morning to embark on the steamship Mahratta for South Africa. Lieutenant Charles was in command, and he takes out a complete staff and equipment for the purpose of making and repairing balloons on the spot for the various divisions. Among the personnel of the factory were a number of lads, trained in the special treatment of the gut from which balloons were made. Expert Balloonists accompanied the factory.

(Evening Express, 9th May 1900)

A pair to the Balloon Section, RE, from the next DNW auction.


Picture courtesy of DNW

QSA (3) CC OFS Jon (3097. Sapr. R. Warwick. R.E.)
KSA (2) (3097 Sapr: R. Warwick. R.E.)

Q.S.A. roll confirms 7th Field Company, employed with 3rd Balloon Section, R.E.; K.S.A. roll confirms service with 11th Field Company and transferred to 47th Company R.E.

The newest thing in war balloons
Used to locate the enemy's positions round the Orange River

Source: www.angloboerwar.com/forum/19-ephemera/3...-jack?start=36#91203

Three photographs of the balloon of the 2nd Balloon Section during the Siege of Ladysmith. The officer standing in the basket in the first image is my great grandfather, Major Gerard Heath. R.E. (wrongly identified as Captain W.A. Tilney on the cover of the 2001 publication "Colonel Standfast: The Memoirs of W.A. Tilney").
















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My grandmother, who was aged five at the time, drew this picture of her father's balloon.

She also knitted a cap for Bugler Sherlock: "dear father, i am knitting a cap for bugler sherlock who shot three Boers, love and kisses from your little Marjorie".







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